Transit officials say it’s a good way to avoid drinking and driving, and will save big on sky-high parking fees that will be charged in many locations.

CTA fares will drop to a penny from 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. New Year’s Day.

“Taking the CTA will not only make travel safer for those riding with us, but it will also reduce traffic congestion by taking more drivers off the road,” said CTA President Richard Rodriguez.

While Metra will continue to charge fares, it will offer a flat-rate $7 ticket that will be good anywhere on the system, for unlimited rides, from the morning of Dec. 31 until late night trains on Jan. 2.

The last train from Millennium Station on Metra’s Electric District will leave at 12:50 a.m., and the last train on the Union Pacific North, Northwest and West Lines, the Milwaukee District north and west lines, the BNSF and Rock Island District, at 1:15 a.m.

CTA will beef up service on six ‘L’ lines and nine bus lines.

4/Cottage Grove buses will operate all night between Washington/State and 95th/Cottage Grove. Buses will operate approximately every 15 minutes north of 63rd and Cottage Grove and every 30 minutes south of 63rd.

6/Jackson Park Express buses will operate southbound from downtown every
15 minutes until 3:15 a.m. The last northbound trip to downtown will leave 79th/South Shore Drive at 2:15 a.m.

20/Madison buses will operate more frequently between Austin and Washington/State every 15 minutes during the overnight period.

22/Clark buses will operate more frequently between Polk/Clark and the Howard Red Line station approximately every 15 to 20 minutes during the overnight period.

29/State buses will operate in both directions all night between Navy Pier and Roosevelt/State in both directions. Service will be scheduled to operate every 15 minutes or less north of Roosevelt, and every 30 minutes or less south of Roosevelt to the 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line station.

65/Grand buses will operate westbound from Navy Pier to Grand and Nordica until 3 a.m. The last eastbound bus to Navy Pier will leave Grand and Nordica at 2 a.m. Service will operate approximately every 15-30 minutes.

66/Chicago buses operate westbound from Navy Pier to Chicago and Austin Avenue until 3 a.m. The last eastbound bus from Austin Avenue to Navy Pier will leave around midnight. Regular Night Owl service will operate between State/Washington and Chicago/Pulaski.

124/Navy Pier buses will operate southbound from Navy Pier to the Millennium Park Randolph Street Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station until 1 a.m. The last northbound trip to Navy Pier from Union Station will be at 12:30 a.m.

151/Sheridan Owl service buses will operate between Sheridan/Foster and Union Station approximately every 15-20 minutes until 3 a.m.

On the ‘L,’ the last trip on all Brown, Orange, Pink and Green Line trains will leave downtown at 1:30 a.m. from the following downtown stations:

Brown Line – Washington/Wells

Green Line – Adams (northbound) and Clinton (southbound)

Orange Line – Library-State/Van Buren

Pink Line – Clark/Lake

Purple Line trains will operate from Howard to Linden until 2 a.m.

Yellow Line trains will operate from Howard to Skokie until 2 a.m.

More frequent service will operate on the Red Line (approximately every 8-10 minutes from midnight until 6 a.m.) and Blue Line Forest Park and O’Hare branches (approximately every 12-15 minutes from 1:30 a.m. until 5 a.m.), which operate 24 hours daily.

Acknowledging his state has “come under the harsh glare of criticism” over a controversial new “religious freedom” law, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said he wants state lawmakers to pass new legislation that makes clear businesses cannot discriminate against gay and lesbian couples.

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